1
Overall worth a watch
==Breakdown==Background plot - 45%
Romance - 40%
Misc comedy - 15%
Background plot - Good
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Good
Production value - Good
I haven't seen the original, nor did I know this was based on a different drama until after I watched it.
This drama was binged over the course of two days and I have no regrets. Previously, I'd enjoyed the ML in Business Proposal and Dr. Romantic, and I'd loved the FL in Vincenzio, so I had high hopes.
I will say, the FL did just okay in this drama. Maybe if I hadn't watched Vincenzio I would've enjoyed this one more, but the scenes where she really shined in this story were moments where her character was similar to her previous role.
The ML was great in almost every scene and really sold the story.
I do have to note, however, that it seemed like the two lead actors never quite reached a level of physical comfort with each other because the affectionate scenes didn't come across well. I know both the ML and FL can do better, so this lack of chemistry between them (in this romantic drama) knocked off a full star.
Was this review helpful to you?
Romances of 5 daughters
==Breakdown==Background plot - 30%
Romance - 40%
Misc comedy - 30%
Background plot - fine
Romantic chemistry - it varied from AMAZING to *meh*
Misc comedy - fine
Production value - fine
I dropped this one in the middle of the last daughter's story since I was no longer enjoying the show (and life is to short to be a completist).
Couples ranked in terms of chemistry and story:
Third daughter / 1st story: EXCELLENT story and chemistry-- these two characters and actors really sold their romance and chemistry.
Fourth daughter / 3rd story: Good story, great chemistry-- the chemistry between the actors saved the story.
First daughter / 2nd story: Okay story, good chemistry-- the female lead was much, much stronger than the male lead. She was awesome and he was mid. I definitely think he was miscast and the weakest of the leads.
Fifth daughter / last story: Redundant story, abysmal chemistry-- the actors were fine, but maybe the female lead was too young (IRL) to be playing this role. It's like she didn't know how to have romantic chemistry with anyone.
Overall story was fine. I won't re-watch, but I enjoyed watching it up to episode 29 or so.
Was this review helpful to you?
I'm not sure I'll ever move on from Sang Yan's love for Yifan.
Best contemporary melodrama I've ever seen==Breakdown==
Background plot - 35%
Romance - 50%
Misc comedy - 15%
Background plot - Interesting
Romantic chemistry - OFF THE CHARTS AMAZING
Misc comedy - Cute
Production value - Good
The story is about a girl who is naturally quiet, thoughtful, and reserved who experiences a period of intense trauma (outside of her control). About a year before this period of trauma, she meets a boy and they are smitten with each other, although not overtly. It has lovely first-love and young-love vibes throughout as their history unfolds through short flashbacks at the beginning of each episode.
The bulk of each episode takes place in present day, where the woman and man encounter each other 6 years after she abandons him and breaks his heart (her reasons are explained fully by the end of the drama and make total sense / feel very real and authentic).
The casting for both the FL and ML was perfection.
The FL character is ridiculously adorable. She's not "cutesy" at all. There's no baby voice (in fact, her voice is soft and deep) but she's so darn wholesome and adorable, I often wanted to put her in my pocket and protect her from the world. And that makes watching her ordeal all the more difficult.
The ML character is played by the lead actor to absolute perfection, balancing on the line of "I'm angry with you for breaking my heart" with "I care deeply about you and want you to be safe and well." I was impressed with his delivery. One second he's giving her the most heart fluttering look of pining and longing, and then in the next moment he's arrogantly insisting she finish his left over porridge because he hates to waste food.
Their story was so good because it was clear that Sang Yan truly loved Yifan and cared about her, regardless of whether they ended up together or she ever wanted to date him. He did things in secret in order to ensure she was taken care of and safe. He felt she deserved the best, even if she never chose him. This doesn't make him a push-over, these actions demonstrate how truly exceptional his character is.
The author cleverly introduces several other male characters who all show interest in Yifan, but are clearly more interested in dating her/what they can get from her than her well-being. They mansplain, they strut, they try to make their feelings her problem. Sang Yan never does this, but rather disguises his feelings by coming up with excuses for the kind things he does so as not to make her feel pressured.
I've enjoyed a few contemporary Cdrama romcoms, but haven't (hadn't) yet found an adult contemporary romantic melodrama that I could stomach. As an aside, I typically don't enjoy adult contemporary romantic C-melodramas. Usually, the plot suffers from the infusion of Chinese government propaganda and is centered around how great China is (because one of the show's main characters-- usually the guy-- has a job as a "selfless hero," like a firefighter, policeman, soldier, etc. all in service to the greater good that is China). But this one had absolutely none of that, thank God. I think it was a much better story overall because it lacked the propaganda rampant in the genre.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
You have to enjoy angst
==Breakdown==Background plot - 25%
Romance - 65%
Misc comedy - 10%
Background plot - Excellent
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Good
Production value - Excellent
Things I loved:
1. The romance is the story. Thus, this is a romance. My favorite.
2. Sometimes, if the romance is the story, the plot and the world building feel a tad lacking. Not this time. The plot (twists and turns, etc.) were PERFECTION, which made the romance story so much better.
3. Okay, the chemistry between the ML and FL. Holy cow. The chemistry. 1000x this chemistry. I was feeling the chest aches from episode 3 onward (my favorite).
4. The happy times were so cute and satisfying. Even though I enjoy the angst, it has to make sense; it always did, and periods of sadness were followed by satisfying periods of just the most adorable, lovely interactions. <3 LOVE <3
5. The characters were flawed and how great is that?? No one was perfect, everyone had issues, they were all doing their best. Based in a fantasy world, their characters and motivations felt realistic and relatable.
6. The battle scenes and actions scenes were so well done. I actually watched them (I usually don't)
7. Artistic direction!!!!!!!! SO GOOD!!! So many shots felt like a painting. The artistic direction enhanced the story and I love that for us.
8. She's a badass.
9. He's also a badass.
10. They save each other multiple times.
11. The kiss scenes looked like they were actually kissing, not like weird fish smashing lips that we sometimes get with C and K dramas.
12. No overuse of dramatic staring contests.
Things I didn't love:
1. That it ended. It should've continued forever. *CRIES IN CDRAMA*
Was this review helpful to you?
Background plot - 40%
Romance - 40%
Misc comedy - 20%
Background plot - Excellent
Romantic chemistry - Terrible
Misc comedy - Good
Production value - Fine (for the time)
The lead actress just completely ruined this whole show. I've never seen her in anything before, but she was so bad I've gone through and "not interested" everything else she's done.
Lee Seung Gi was AMAZING, especially given who he had to act with as a partner.
The rest of the cast was hit or miss, which is why I gave the overall cast 4.0
The story was phenomenal.
The direction and production value were *meh* at best and it makes me sad because the story and dialogue were amazing.
It's too bad about the director and MFL.
Was this review helpful to you?
You're going to have to get over the baby voice first
==Breakdown==Background plot - 40%
Romance - 40%
Misc comedy - 20%
Background plot - Excellent
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Excellent
Production value - Excellent
As many other reviewers have noted, the character of Orchid has extreme baby voice. I'd tried and failed to watch this series several times, never making it through the first episode, and ultimately deciding a few months ago just to give up because it made me cringe so very, very hard.
If you're like me and this is a big issue, may I recommend watching the show on mute for the first few episodes. I did this with subtitles until I connected with the story, then I gradually increased the volume (very low, moderately low, low, medium, regular) until I didn't notice the voice as much. I'm REALLY glad I did, because this show was fantastic!
Let me stop here and say this is not a criticism of the lead actress. It's a "me problem." I have a hard time when adult men or women affect a child-like voice. It's like nails on the chalkboard for me, and that's 100% entirely on me. I also don't like mayonnaise. That doesn't mean there's anything inherently wrong with mayo, it's just a personal preference.
ANYWAY, a month ago a friend of mine strongly urged me to watch this CDrama (my first Cdrama) because I'd just finished Alchemy of Souls and wanted another fantasy. She said this was THE BEST fantasy TV show of it's kind and I'd regret it if I didn't watch. She was right.
The story was good. Not fantastic, but good. The relationship, which started antagonistic because he's a serious bad guy without emotions, actually ended up pretty darn healthy. In fact, I'd say it was remarkably healthy given who the characters were and their backgrounds. It was lovely to see how much they respected and cared for each other from episode 20 to the end.
However, and this is really why this show is so high on the re-watch scale, the chemistry between the leads was off the freaking charts. Esther and Dylan portrayed this epic love story perfectly, and I was able to suspend disbelief and lose myself in their story. The production values matched perfectly (even when the CGI wasn't perfect, it was still perfect for the show). And I loved the costumes, make up, hair-- it all added to and heightened the deep fantasy.
I will re-watch this show again, probably several times, and now that I've grown accustomed to the baby voice, I suspect I'll enjoy those early scenes that I'd originally muted.
Was this review helpful to you?
Their relationship / friendship is the main plot, but their romance is a subplot
==Breakdown==Background plot- 70%
Romance - 15%
Misc comedy - 15%
Background plot - Good
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Good
Production value and direction - Good
The relationship of the FL and ML was the main story, but their romance was not part of the main story The FL and ML sold the romance, but the writing of it felt a bit forced , like the writer originally wrote it with no romance, but was forced to add a romantic relationship because they were told to do so. (You'll see what I mean if you watch it).
Basically, if you're wanting a romance, this is not it. You could have replaced the romance with a deep friendship and the story would have been exactly the same. Since I went into this drama expecting a romance (because it's labeled as such) I was left disappointed with this element of the story, which is why I rated it 9 instead of 10.
However, if you're wanting a fun, entertaining, and sometimes suspenseful story about two people who are fated to be in each other's lives as good, loving friends, this is definitely the show for you.
Things that are fantastic about this drama: the music, the child actors (THEY WERE AMAZING!!), the overall message and how the story was both fantastical and realistic, and the adult leads (FL and ML) both separately in their own stories and together as deep, close friends.
The writing and direction were also very good.
Was this review helpful to you?
Enjoyable thriller with character development
==Breakdown==Background plot - 90%
Romance - 10%
Misc comedy - 0%
Background plot - Good
Romantic chemistry - Good
Misc comedy - NA
Production value - Fine
If you enjoy thrillers, this one is a solid watch. I really enjoyed the police officers. The romance is negligible. The storyline is interesting. I likely won't ever re-watch.
Was this review helpful to you?
How do we get Li Yun Rui in more ML romance roles?!?!!?!!!!
==Breakdown==Background plot - 60%
Romance - 35%
Misc comedy - 5%
Background plot - Pretty good
Romantic chemistry - Outstanding
Misc comedy - fine
Production value - Good
Wow. Li Yun Rui should only be allowed to be the ML in romance dramas from now on. HE WAS AMAZING!!!
I also have to give credit to Meng Zi Yi for her layered portrayal of the FL. The story mainly revolves around her character and she carried the show beautifully.
My only gripe is that I wish they had more scenes together, but this is because I watch CDramas for the romance... so that's a "me problem."
Was this review helpful to you?
The second couple stole the show
==Breakdown==Background plot - 40%
Romance - 35%
Misc comedy - 25%
Background plot - Fine
Romantic chemistry - Good
Misc comedy - Fine
Production value - Fine
I’m not sure why, but by episode 10 I was watching to find out what would happen with the second couple. Even though the two main leads were two of my favorite Cdrama actors. The main story was just really boring and I can’t quite figure out why.
The second couple got the better, more interesting story and were vastly more fascinating, layered characters.
Was this review helpful to you?
If you want to be entertained, it's entertaining
==Breakdown==Background plot - 45%
Romance - 45%
Misc comedy - 10%
Background plot - Fine
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Good
Production value - Not the best
Here's what you need to know:
1. The story is ridiculous with lots of plot holes and silly deus ex machina resolutions, but also keeps you guessing. It follows tropes and then subverts those tropes. If you don't mind non-sensical plot points, then this might be for you. I gave the story a generous 7 star rating because the characters' choices surprised me several times (in a good way)
2. The best part of the show is the ML. He gets progressively better with each episode and the drama is honestly worth watching just for him. Like other reviewers have said, he's consistent for the whole show.
3. The FMC will frustrate you, but she's not terrible. The actress did the best job possible with the script. That said, she was a bit of a doormat which made me sad. I didn't need her to be badass or whatever, but early on it would've been good for her to have a better reason for falling for the MMC and some self-awareness around how problematic he is. Like, fall for him, sure. But have her question how bonkers it is to fall for a guy like him.
4. You can FastForward all the scenes with the FMC's best friend, they are filler and mind-numbingly boring.
Overall, very entertaining.
Was this review helpful to you?
100% Worth Watching
==Breakdown==Background plot - 65%
Romance - 25%
Misc comedy - 10%
Background plot - Excellent
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Good
Production value - Meh
Basically, the main's acting/cast and story were excellent. The direction was pretty good. The production values, music, set design, etc. were just mid.
This is one of those rare dramas where the production values didn't do justice to the acting and the story. Usually, it's the other way around.
I've seen Wang Xing Yue in other dramas, but this is my first time watching anything where he's the ML. This role suited him perfectly. Even though he wasn't the primary focus of the story, I couldn't imagine anyone else in his role.
The FL was new to me and she did a great job carrying the show. I appreciated her range and steady, thoughtful performance. Her chemistry with Wang Xing Yue was pretty good, though romance seemed to be secondary to her revenge plots, which usually would've irritated me (I watch Cdramas for the romance) but I actually enjoyed this story more than I thought I would.
THE STORY: If you like revenge stories, this show is for you. The story was the best part of this drama, which is why it's such a same the production values didn't match the potential of the story. I plan to look up all the other scripts written by this author and try to watch them.
Overall, I highly recommend this show. I did fast forward sometimes, but not nearly as much as I do with most CDramas. Very little filler, engaging story, great acting, mid-production values.
Was this review helpful to you?
Taking into account when it was made, it's phenomenal and ahead of its time
==Breakdown==Background plot - 30%
Romance - 40%
Misc comedy - 30%
Background plot - Good
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Excellent
Production value - Good (for the time)
ADVICE: If you can step back and put yourself in 2007, this Drama was a big deal for the time and is quite beautiful. I only watched it for the first time this last year, but I made sure to not judge the script and story based on today's values. That said, watching it through the lens of today, I can understand why some people have a big problem with the premise and the female main character's actions. In a time when being gay almost anywhere in the world wasn't only dangerous but also stigmatized and perhaps even classified as a mental illness, the journey of the ML is a fascinating one, and an important one. I think, for me, it allowed me to understand why so many non-straight people really struggle with their sexuality.
But, obviously, the FML isn't a man, thus the story's direction and conflict change direction and become about her duplicity, which is fine / makes sense, but it splits the drama into two different shows. For me, this change without real resolution for Choi Han Gyul's first / internal conflict felt like a bit of a letdown, if I'm honest. Looking at the show through the lens of today, I wished the show would've explored Choi Han Gyul's realization that romantic love (for him) isn't limited by gender. He fell in love with the person first, not their gender. Admittedly, the show draws this conclusion without stating it explicitly, but I think it moved on too fast. Which is fine, I guess. But I wanted the ML and FL to have the conversation, "I fell in love with you. And I would love you if you were a man or a woman or non-binary, because it's you." That would've been a powerful message for people to see and hear and be exposed to.
I also have to call out Gong Yoo and the way he *looks at* his FML in his dramas once the character is in love with them. Cheese and crackers, this guy and his looks. I don't know how he does it, but it's like something within him flips a switch and, when he gazes at the FML's character, it's all heat and desire. How does he do that?
Was this review helpful to you?
Great for what it is, but the story / dialogue :-\
==Breakdown==Background plot - 25%
Romance - 65%
Misc comedy - 10%
Background plot - Meh
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Fine
Production value - pretty bad
What you need to know about my rating: the dialogue is frequently SUPER cheesy. The storyline is fine. Not good, but fine. Sometimes it's nonsensical in order to set the main characters up for maximum dramatic and tropey situations. The villains and main characters are cartoonish, but that's to be expected with a short format story.
If you can accept that the dialogue is silly and the storyline is nonsensical then you will enjoy the chemistry between the two leads, which is the main draw. Given the script, I was really impressed with their performances. They honestly didn't have much to work with.
Also, it should be noted that the OST is really good. I'm not usually a fan of the OSTs in CDramas (Love Between Fairy and Devil being the exception) but this one was really good.
Was this review helpful to you?
First contemporary CDrama, really enjoyed it
==Breakdown==Background plot - 40%
Romance - 40%
Misc comedy - 20%
Background plot - Fine
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Good
Production value - Good
Was the story perfect or grounded in reality? No. No, it was not. Not at all. Maybe not even a little.
Were some the situations and dialogue cringe? Yes. Certainly.
Was it also a lot of fun to watch? Yes. Yes, it absolutely was.
Listen, this was unserious fun. I watched it for Dylan Wang who seems to have chemistry with walls, cars, all humans, and oftentimes plastic bags. He's amazing. I haven't seen Meteor Garden yet, but it's up next and I'm excited. I hope it's more unserious fun where Dylan Wang demonstrates how to have fantastic chemistry with inanimate and animate objects. I hope he never stops making shows.
Was this review helpful to you?
